Three eunuchs are also contesting in general elections 2024

Lahore: In the recent general elections in Pakistan, where a large number of male and female candidates are in the field, three transgenders are participating in the elections in four constituencies of the national and provincial assemblies.

Nayab Ali, a eunuch from Punjab, is a candidate from two constituencies NA 46 and 47 of the National Assembly. .

Nayab Ali is contesting as an independent candidate and his election symbol is green chilli. Talking to The Express Tribune, Nayab Ali said that political parties always give tickets to candidates who have resources, are effective influencers in their constituency and are likely to succeed. So in these circumstances, when our society is not fully accepting transgenders, how will any political party accept them and give them tickets.

Nayab Ali says that just as there are reserved seats for women and non-Muslim candidates in the Senate, National and Provincial Assembly, there should be a reserved seat for transgenders in the National and Provincial Assembly. This is the way transgenders can be represented in Parliament.

Currently, the total population of transgenders in Pakistan is 10,418, but the transgender community does not recognize this number. According to the 2017 census, the number of transgenders across the country was 21 thousand 774, while according to the Election Commission, 3 thousand 29 transgender voters are registered across the country. 1886 voters are registered from Punjab, 431 from Sindh, 133 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 81 from Balochistan and seven from tribal areas. A separate list of transgenders has not been created by the Election Commission, the names of majority of transgenders are included in the list of men because their ID cards have X (Male) written instead of gender X.

Guru Nili Rana, a eunuch from Lahore, observed the 2018 elections as an observer. Neeli Rana says that if they want crores of rupees to fight the elections, the majority of the transgender community is living by begging, then who will contest the elections in such circumstances, he said that political parties talk about the rights of transgenders in their manifestos but It’s all pretend.

Neeli Rana says that there is no eunuch in the central or provincial organization of any political party, how can the political parties who do not give them any important position in their party tolerate them in the assembly.

Jannat Ali, a eunuch from Lahore, says that no one can interpret the problems of eunuchs better than an eunuch, but in the current electoral system, it does not seem possible that an eunuch can reach the assembly. Democracy is talked about but transgenders are ignored. He said that just as the issues of women, special persons, minorities have been fixed for them, special quota should also be fixed for the transgender community.

Lack of communication is also one of the reasons why transgender people are neglected by political parties. Transgender Nayab Ali says that when she goes to people during the election campaign, some people think of her as beggars, transgenders are mocked. Political parties also probably think that if they support a transgender or give him a ticket, the opponents will make fun of them. The reason for this is our social attitudes, to change these attitudes where community representatives are playing their role, political parties also have to come forward.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, National Coordinator of Free and Fair Election Network (FAFAN) Rashid Chaudhry said that transgenders have started to be accepted in the society, transgenders are candidates as well as voters. This is encouraging. In the 2018 elections, a large number of transgenders participated, most of them from Sindh. Many of these eunuchs were elected in local body elections. However, in the current elections, their number is very less.

He said that political parties always give tickets to such candidates who are expected to succeed, in the case of transgenders, it may not seem possible that they can win seats in the national and provincial assemblies, but By practice, those local bodies make their place for election.

Transgender people are considered weak, cowardly and incompetent in our society. Some politicians call their opponents with words like eunuchs and eunuchs, especially Sheikh Rasheed and PTI founder Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have been using mean words several times. Sheikh Rasheed openly calls Bilawal Bhutto as Balu Rani.

Dr. Asma Sami Malik, head of the Department of Sociology at Lahore College for Women University, says that such an attitude towards transgenders is unfortunate. And will do good work for welfare.

One of the reasons why transgenders do not get their basic rights and acceptance is the doubts and suspicions about this community in the society. It is difficult for a common person to differentiate between transgender and transgender.

We need to understand the difference between intrasex and transgender, says Birth Defects Foundation Chairman Yasir Javed.

Children who are born with some kind of sexual defect are called intersex i.e. eunuchs, eunuchs and eunuchs, while people who change their sex through surgery, drugs and hormone therapy are called transgender. Such persons are originally fully female or fully male but they change their sex by artificial means. The word transgender should not be used for such persons. This is why it is difficult for government agencies to check the exact number of transgender people in Pakistan.